18Author's Notes: this is a 40k/Halo crossover I have been working on for a while. I have read some fics and decided to try my hand at them. Rest assured, I intend for my fic to be different as much as possible from the others. I wanted to pit the Covenant against a faction that made the Prophets seem like Saints by comparison.
The main characters are to be the Chaos Space Marines invading one of the Halo rings. To properly explain this takes place on a Halo around the same time as the original game, however it is not the same Halo seen in Combat Evolved. This Master Chief is not on this Halo. Instead of Instillation 04 this fic is taking place on Instillation 07.
However you will see MC in the future.
But for now this concentrates on the Covenant and the Chaos forces. The timeline for the 40k universe is in the middle of the 13th Black Crusade.
I would like to state that I am more experianced with 40k so this will probably be more 40k centric.
Black Halo
Chapter 1
Above Halo 07
The Mortis Irae hovered in low orbit over the dusty grey orb of the ring-world. All around the ships of the Chaos fleet moved into position against the xenos ships that surrounded the strange ringworld. From its belly dozens upon dozens of Dreadclaw assault pods were launched below . Dozens of them came, carrying the various warriors of the Black Legion to the battleground below.
Ralek stared out silently as Haraketh finished his prayers to the Four Powers. Viskis chanted along with the chronometer mounted on the ceiling of the Dreadclaw as it counted down the time until impact. A loud rumbling filled the cockpit, the product of the drop pod firing through the atmosphere. But Ralek himself did not notice it at all in his deep thoughts. Instead he remained silent, checking his bolter.
Combat was coming soon, and he and his warrior-brothers would go into battle again. They would fight at the behest of their Warmaster, once Horus Luprecal and now Abaddon.
However only Haraketh, Viskis, Mhrall and Keras were of Ralek's original battle brothers. Apuat Tactical Squad contained only five of its original members over the long centuries of warfare against the hated followers of the corpse god. The rest were either youngbloods, recruited from the most fanatical young cultists that followed the legion and transformed into Astartes by the Legion Chirumeks, or various other Astartes that had defected over the millennia.
Next to him, in the Dreadclaw's restraint thrones, was Menathor, a former Iron Warrior, his dark iron heraldry now repainted into the black of and gold of the Warmaster's Legion. Servos whirled as he checked his plasma gun.
In total there where only nine total, one understrength from Apuat's glory days in the Heresy.
Ralek and his brothers were once Luna Wolves and Sons of Horus, they had leanred their battlecraft in the days of the Great Crusade. These newcomers were only Black Legion and had only known Black Legion. They had never been led into battle in the name of the Emperor. In some ways, Ralek mused, that was a blessing for warriors such as themselves. Ralek had dedicated his soul to Chaos in the name of power and vengeance, as did the rest of his brothers.
He caught his reflection in a side panel. His face was masked by a horned black helm, crimson eye slits casting a fearsome glow. His war plate was a bastard mix of MkIV, MKV and MKVII armor plates. Here a shoulder pad torn from an Iron Warrior. Here a thigh plate taken from a White Scar. Here a gauntlet taken from a fallen Dark Angel. All repainted into black and gold. His left greave was scavenged from a fallen warrior brother of the 27th.
The 27th, he chuckled briefly. It was almost an irony that lord Varkast had maintained the former company designation that he had commanded in the days of the Luna Wolves and applied it to his warband as the 27th company. The legion did not fight as they did in the days of the Crusade any longer. Instead the various lords and champions under Abaddon formed whatever organization as they had pleased.
At the very least his lord followed a more rigid type of organization. The 27th numbered over a several hundred Astartes, the result of recruiting among the warrior-slaves of the Legion and various other Astartes from the Black Legion's warbands and other legions joining him. Under him were split the five segments, each commanded by a warrior-lord of the Black Legion. Once they had been made up of the ranking officers of the Luna Wolves, but lately new leaders had emerged.
Grendal Sartol, a former sergeant and brother to Ralek, had slain Tarmek, the previous lord of Apuat and took his place as one of Heru'ur's lieutenants. Sartol was a fierce warrior, one that Ralek followed with ease. And now, after centuries of warfare they had come here, to this strange ring world that had appeared at the far edges of a galaxy. Four months ago Zaraphiston, sorcerer to the Warmaster himself, had told of a prophecy of a powerful weapon.
Four months later, after the Cadian sector was blitzed in the 13th Black Crusade. Abaddon's forces engaged in a bloody warfare with the servants of the False Throne. Amidst this a war fleet was dispatched from the Crusade at the Wasmaster's orders.
Under the command of Dhar'leth, one of Abaddon's Daemon Princes, the fleet came far and far away, to the northern edges of the Halo Zone, using the Black Crusade as a distraction to slip past Imperial patrols. Then they found the place, as a warp storm dissipated, revealing the system at the edge of the Astromonican. It was a massive wormhole, submerging reality in a form of natural phenomenon.
Dhar'leth ordered the fleet through and they found their weapon, a strange artificial ring-world that hung in the depths of space.
However that was not only the thing they found.
Xenos, a war fleet of them, infesting the world.
The ring world was the Warmaster's prize, Dhar'leth decreed, no one else could claim to it. These xenos would burn as the warriors of Chaos cleansed their stinking taint from the world in the name of the Four Powers.
Above, distantly in space, the fleets clashed. The Mortis Irae, the flagship of the 27th Company warband, one of those sworn to the Despoiler, had already launched it's deadly payload below.
Astartes.
Frankly Ralek yearned to be at the Cadian Gate.
''And here we are.'' remarked Viskis.
The pod shook rapidly as it hit the planetside. After a seconds the hatches blew opene and Ralek dropped into the grey-grown earth below. He landed with a thud, kicking up dust as he did so.
Viskis and Menathor landed next to him, the rest of Apuat forming up around the Dreadclaw. Viskis's horned MKVII hem glanced at Ralek as they scanned the horizon.
''It's a nice sight is it not my lord?'' Viskis asked.
''Perhaps.'' Ralek said.
One of the newbloods, Haros, chuckled, his laugh coming through his helm like the snort of a consumptive bull.
''Shut up.'' Viskis ordered.
The newblood complied.
It indeed was fairly pretty, with blue skies stretching above and dusty fields that led into a patch of hills in the distance, it looked rather pleasant. It was at least better than some of the worlds Apuat had fought on before.
''We hunt?'' asked Keras, his knight-like MKII helmet scanning around. Skulls jangled from his scarred armor plating. His silver plated chainsword, Decapitator, hung from a mag-link at his side. Maskas, the most promising of the youngbloods, nodded in affirmation, his own MKVI helm taking in the horizon.
''By the Powers we do'' Haraketh said softly, as he touched his MKV helmet, tracing the golden left eyepiece. His armor was inscribed with the names of the dead, repeated over and over again from vambrance, pauldron, breastplate, greaves and gauntlets
''No more talk, we hunt the enemies of the Warmaster, Kill for the Living-'' Ralek began.
''Kill for the dead!'' the rest of Apuat roared. Ralek was pleased to note that the youngbloods where learning.
''Let's go.'' he said.
The Righteous Solitude-Covenant CCS-Class Battlecruiser
Ship Master Uma Umamee stared at the view screens as information rolled in front of him, as if in thin air. Like most Sangheili Ship Masters he preferred to operate his ship from a barren viewport. Below his brethren operated the lower functions of the ship.
It had seemed too good, they had finally found the Haloes of the Forerunners. The fleet of Inner Judgment had set down some cruisers to serve as headquarters for the Crèches to secure the surface of this world.
His fist clenched.
A Halo, the Great Journey was finally about to be completed…and then….
…..These things came. Huge ships came bursting out of the system's edge somehow, dangerously close to the gravity wells and came in, guns blazing. The Covenant had never seen anything like them.
Right now the Righteous Solitude was currently receiving orders to stay put and finish ferrying its troops below. Since then Umamee had lost contact with the Fleet Master and the rest of Inner Judgment.
A communications channel opened up.
''Ship Master.'' the face of Roma Romamee, one of his subordinates appeared on the screen. His mandibles flexed in confusion and worry.
''We have picked up several strange objects coming from lower orbit, from one of the strange attackers.''
''Warheads?'' asked Umamee.
''No idea, It's possible they are some sort of orbital insertion vehicle that the humans use in their elite units.'' he theorized.
Umamee snarled in disgust. Humans, why could they not fight humans? They were the perfect prey, brave fighters, but ultimately outmatched. They gave good sport to the warriors of the Sangheili.
''I am putting the warriors below on guard, along with the Kig-Yar and Uggoy ready, and awake the Mgalakgolo on the Solitude, I am wary of these new foes.'' Umamee commanded.
''Yes Ship Master.''
Apuat Squad's position
Maskas spotted the purple form in the distance.
''Look.'' he said over the squad vox frequency.
It was a huge purple bulbous thing, handing a few hundred meters over a set of low hills set in a small forest from were the Black Legion was approaching along the treelines. The Astartes had maintained a ground-eating stride out of the dustlands and into some sort of forested valley.
''It looks like we have found our assault target then.'' Ralek growled with pleasure.
''This is the place where our orbital augurs detected camps, let's clean out the ground troops then.'' Viskis said with relish.
''What about the ship itself?'' asked Maskas.
''Ever hear of Stormbirds? Thunderhawks? Bombers?'' asked Viskis sarcastically.
''We will deal with that when the time comes.'' Ralek cut off his second in command. He raised one hand and pointed forwards.
''Let's go.'' Keras hummed in relish.
They met the first of the enemy five minutes later.
A half-dozen creatures where picked up first by Haraketh's autosenses as he took point. Menathor's plasma gun whined as it charged up. A half-dozen creatures came around the corner.
''That is what we are fighting?'' Keras said, his voice thick with amusement.
They were short, tiny things next to the Astartes, they had wild, beady eyes, orange armor with a conch-like back and grey leathery skin. They pulled themselves along by their hind legs. They wore strange rebreathers.
Suddenly, they stopped in shock at the sight of the hulking forms of Apuat.
For a moment they stood in silence.
Then Viskis shot one.
The bolter round blew the creature back several feet, blue blood sprayed into the air to decorate the ground. Viskis whooped. The rest of Apuat opened fire, shredding the creatures in seconds.
''Alright, they seem to die easily, no bolters from here on, only blades, we want to conserve ammunition.'' Ralek ordered.
A chorus of affirmations came over the helmet voxes in Apuat as they continued on. Something blinked on Ralek's visor display. He checked it. Multiple runes appeared on his visor screen.
''Chaggrat and Hakmet Reaver.'' he commented.
''They join us?'' asked Maskas.
''Aye'' Ralek said, 'Maybe you will learn something youngblood from the veterans of the Long War.''
Keras tore the rebreather mask off of one of the grunt-warriors. He snorted.
''Ugly bastards.''
They encountered a larger patrol several minutes later.
A dozen grunt xenos appeared, out of the lip of a ravine, at their rear was a hulking, split-faced xenos in blue armor plate. A blue bolt flashed out to strike Ralek in his breastplate, warning runes flashed in his visor.
Plasma?
He returned fire back, his bolter kicking in his hand, catching the blue-armored warrior as it charged forward recklessly, something around the warrior flashed briefly. Shields of some sort?
Regardless they did not seem very strong as Ralek's next burst overloaded them and tore through the armor plate of the warrior. The chest armor deformed under the impacts. Ralek's third burst practically tore the split-faced warrior in half, flinging blood scraps of meat over the ravine.
'I though you said no bolters?'' Haros, one of the newbloods asked.
''Shut up young one.'' Viskis growled
''That did not look like the rest, an elite warrior of some kind?'' Haraketh asked.
''Probably.'' Maskas agreed.
''Kill the rest.'' Ralek commanded.
The rest of the grunt xenos fled outwards, as the rest of Apuat gave chase. Chainblades and combat knives were withdrawn as they quickly ran down the slower xenos and butchered them in seconds.
''No sport.'' Keras sniffed. Ralek looked around ahead. In the distance what looked like to be the forms of two turrets on a small plateau that led to a path near the bottom of the cruiser. The Champion snarled as they began to open fire.
Maskas and Mhrall who had taken point, staggered under the barrage of blue bolts that sent them stumbling, pieces of ceramite armor blackening and burning away the gold trim on their war plate. Ralek opened fire with his bolter at extreme range, the 75. caliber rounds kicking up a pall of dust around one of the turrets. The driver was pitched back, slain as the rounds tore the grunt xenos up.
Menathor opened up with his plasma gun, arcs of red energy impacting into the turret. Immediately the superheated bolt of plasma vaporized the turret as the rest of Apuat advanced.
Ralek looked about. Thirty glowing purple shields came from the right, among s set of rocks, while dozens of grunts came running down one of the hills, prodded by a trio of blue armored split-faces. More sniper-armed warriors were firing from the hilltop.
''Haros, Menathor, Haraketh, Melek you have the right, Viskis, take out the snipers, Mhrall, Maskas and Keras, come with me.'' he commanded breaking off to the left.
Immediately he reached to his belt, selecting an egg-sized frag grenade before tossing it forward, propelled by his Astartes strength. The grenade landed among the front ranks of the grunt horde, blowing several of the xenos to pieces. Ralek seized the blade at his waist and withdrew it. The silver blade of the power sword shone in the sunlight, the golden eye at the hilt flashing briefly. The name of the blade was carved in the handle.
Moonfang.
The relic blade was a precious symbol-weapon of the Black Legion, it was forged back by the Terrawatt clans of the Ural mountains for the XVI Legion back when the Imperium was still young. It was a masterwork power blade, truthfully more artifact that weapon. Ralek was the fourth bearer of it, proud Iulus was wielded it during the unification wars and the early states of the Great Crusade. Chalgar of Cthonia had used the blade under the command of Horus Luprecal, Famius had wielded the blade during the scouring of Ullanor and during the Horus Heresy, tasting the blood of the Emperor's lapdogs.
And now Ralek welded it since Famius had fallen during the Siege of Terra, along with Ralek's gene-father, Horus himself. It offended him that such base xenos would be honored by such a revered sword.
His bolter kicked in his hands, the first two bursts blowing apart a blue-armored warrior. Maskas and Mhrall's weapons blew another blue-armored warrior to pieces while Keras reduced three grunts to a blue mist. Two more died under Ralek's bolter as he closed in, Moonfang flashing as he beheaded a grunt. The power sword flashed with blue lightning as he hacked a bloody path through the screaming grunts.
''We are Returned!'' he shouted his legion's battlecry over the vox-network. Apuat responded in turn.
Some type of blue bolts came from the blue armored split-face, gouging holes in Keras's battle plate. The Black Legion warrior drew his chainsword, the ornate Decapitator, before rushing forward and bringing the chainsword down. The shields of the elite warrior flashed for a second before the enhanced strength of Keras won through and tore through the armored skull of the split-face before tearing through its chest. Keras howled in bloodlust.
Maskas and Mhrall drew their chainblades and joined in, hacking a blue-bloody path through the grunt warriors who fought back as best they could, but they were hopelessly outmatched. Viskis's bolter kicked again and again as he blew away sniper after sniper. On the right flank the flamer wielded by Melek roasted more of the shield-warriors, the promethium lapping around the shield cover while Menathor's plasma gun overloaded shields and blew them back.
Frustratingly the shields of the bird-like warriors held under bolter fire, so Haraketh was reduced to using his chainaxe to tear apart bird-warrior after bird-warrior in an orgy of bloodshed.
Then they came.
Commander Orda Ordamee listened to the panicked reports of the Uggoy as they fled before the new attackers. Monsters, they screamed over the comms as they died painfully in droves. He drew his own energy sword and activated it with a flick of his wrist, sending out a blade of condensed plasma. Ordamee was an Aristocrat, one of the Sangheili elite who where privileged to wield energy blades.
As such he was what a human would call a ''blademaster''
''Commander the Uggoy flee like cowards, our brethren have been slain.'' his second in command Ruda Rudamee said softly, the rays of the sun glinting off his crimson battle armor.
The white-armored commander turned around.
''They were young and inexperienced, but they died warrior's deaths, facing the foe, by the blood of our fathers we shall avenge them.'' his voice was thick with relish for the challenge ahead.
He raised the energy blade.
''Kill them all!''
Two red armored elite warriors leapt over a series of high boulders at the other end of the hill and poured plasma fire into Mhrall as he turned around to engage the new threat. The blue bolts hammered into the damaged breastplate of the chaos marine, striking him in the plates earlier damaged by the Covenant Plasma Cannon.
The superheated bolts of energy tore through his fused ribcage, torching his primary heart and both lungs, three more shots tore through him as he collapsed, dead on the ground, his hand squeezing on his bolter even in death. Ralek saw Mhrall's rune on his visor go blank. All around him the grunt warriors where fleeing in utter terror. He ignored them as he whirled around, spotting the forms of more split-faced warriors coming over the hill.
He fired his bolter at a red-armored warrior, the shields around the split-face flashed brightly as Ralek emptied the rest of his clip at the alien warrior, eventually as he reached the end of his clip the shields fell and the red-armored warrior, fell back, utterly pulped.
A warrior of Aupat was dead! One of his Chthonic gene-brothers! His mind recoiled in the whole shock of it. He swore a ear-splitting oath and tossed away his bolter and gripped the warblade Moonfang tighter. A white armored elite warrior came at him, wielding some sort of pure energy blade. Moonfang and the energy sword clashed in a shower of sparks. Some sort of power weapon, Ralek noted.
Some sort of commander?
He pushed the elite warrior back with his superior strength, attacking with a series of two-handed blows, forcing the xenos back. But the white-armored warrior recovered with a shocking grace and skill, gouging a small wound through his thigh plate. Warning runes flashed across his visor as his armor was breached. He brought Moonfang about, carving a deep around across the alien's shoulder. Their blades flashed again and again in the sunlight.
Nobody dared to interfere in their duel, out of some sort of unspoken code of honor.
Keras brought his bolter up, firing at two red-armored warriors who had flanked him, four blue armored warriors came up, attacking Maskas who brought up his own chainblade and bolter to defend himself. Menathor raised his plasma gun, vaporizing a red armored warrior as he advanced over the hill. Needles and plasma bolts lashed down, cratering Melek and Haraketh's armor, a glowing object arced through the air as Haros reached out to bat it away.
It didn't go away, instead adhering to the surprised Chaos Marine's fingertips.
''What techno-sorcery-'' he started, but was cut off by a loud flash.
The arm and part of the Chaos Marine's shoulder was blown apart by the sheer force of the plasma grenade. Only the fact that he was holding his arm away from his body saved Haros from death.
Melek brought his flamer up and sent a streak of super-heated promethium past Haraketh at the red-armored warriors. The elites where shrouded in flames but their shields held under the torrent. Then Haraketh came out of the promethium, his gold trim burnt and blackened, his chainaxe whirling. Energy shields flashed briefly before he beheaded a red armored warrior.
Blue bolts tore into his breastplate and helm as he brought the chainaxe overhead, brining the weapon down on the skull of the remaining split-face warrior, killing him with one single crushing blow.
Keras charged through a hail of blue bolts, side steeping a thrown blue ball. He fired his bolter one handed, emptying the entire clip to kill one of the red-armored warriors. Decapitator flashed out, taking off the hand of the red-armored warrior. To its credit the elite warrior tired to bring around its other gun, but was slain by a return thrust.
Maskas fell back, blue bolts cratering his already weakened war plate, the bodies of two blue armored warriors fell back, their forms collapsed by Maskas's well aimed bursts to the head. Then superheated plasma flew through the air as Menathor's plasma gun vaporized both of the blue-armored warriors, the superheated balls of gas overloading the energy shields that the elites wore.
Moonfang and xenos energy blade clashed again and again. The energy blade made small nicks and imperfections in the Black Legionary's war plate, while Moonfang carved through the energy fields of the white-armored warrior, powered by the Chaos Champion's inhuman muscles.
The energy sword flickered to the side as Ralek lashed out to the side. The shields of the xenos fizzed out as the power sword was forced closer.
Then he rammed his helm into the skull of the xenos.
It was this entirely unexpected move which broke the white-armored warrior's concentration. Ralek rammed his head again and again into the skull of the elite until the xenos stumbled away, dazed. The Black Legionary then brought Moonfang around two handed, beheading the elite. The head of the split-faced warrior rolled on the ground as blood began to pump from the severed neck.
The rest of Aupat came up to Ralek as he retrieved his bolter and stood over the body of Mrhall. Viskis directed Haraketh and Menathor to finish off the last few grunt stragglers as he came next to Ralek.
''Another one gone?'' he asked his Champion.
Ralek removed Mrhall's helm, exposing the pale, craggy features of the dead Chaos Marine. He closed the wide eyes of the marine. He walked over to the severed head of the xenos and removed a rotting skull form one of his backpack spikes. He grabbed the severed head and jammed it on in its place. The severed head of the now-dead xenos stared lifelessly from his trophy rack.
''Forget about him Viskis, we have a job to do.'' Ralek said softly. Maskas gazed on silently, then the youngblood turned his attention to Haros who came up limping, supported by a blood-splattered Keras.
''He needed a hand.'' Keras grunted.
''Khrone's balls, those bastards have a nasty bite'' Melek said, coming up from behind. Haros let out a groan of pain.
Ralek walked up to him and hauled him up.
''Can you fight?'' he asked Haros.
''Of course,'' grunted the Black Legionary. ''I'm Astartes.''
''Stay to the back,'' Ralek told him. ''We will cover you.''
''The body?'' asked Melek.
''We will retrieve it later for the Chirumeks to extract his gene-seed.'' Ralek said.
Something came over the vox.
''Sir? We have contact with Chaggrat and Hakmet, we need to come in and clean up the trash.'' Menathor's voice came on the squad vox, surly as ever.
Ralek looked around at the dozens of slaughtered xenos carcasses.
''Let's go, Kill for the Living, Kill for the Dead.''
The Righteous Solitude
Ship Master Uma Umamee looked at the viewscreen again. He had managed to reestablish contact with the rest of the fleet and it was not good. The unknown fleet had hit hard. There where garbled reports of human and monsters intermixed in, but it was hard to get a proper view of things.
The Covenant fleet outnumbered the enemy force heavily, but the enemy seemingly had better ships than the Covenant, which was ridiculous considering that the Covenant operated from the Forerunner's own technology. Still it seemed like the Covenant was being forced to regroup at the system's out dust nebulas until they could regain their coherency and take stock of what had happened to them.
Unfortunately that left Umamee, the Righteous Solitude and the rest of the ground forces on the Sacred Halo alone and marooned until the fleet could come back and help them. But until then they were struck dry. It was not a situation he especially enjoyed, being stuck in this kind of situation. Still, he was a warrior of the Covenant and he would not give into fear and panic. The Gods willed it.
''Ship Master,'' Romamee's face came up again. ''We have this from our ground reports, Commander Ordamee has been slain.'' he reported curtly.
''Slain?'' Umamee knew of Ordamee's prowess with the blade. That was no small feat. ''Do we have a visual of our enemy?'' he asked.
''Affirmative.'' the holo-screen in front of Umamee changed to depict a fairly hazy image.
''Zoom in'' Umamee commanded.
''It's of poor quality so I don't know if-'' Romamee began.
''Zoom in'' Umamee repeated. Romamee complied.
Eight figures manifested themselves. Umamee was struck on how huge they were. They were easily as tall as a Sangheili and twice as broad. Their black-armored forms were scored by plasma fire and needlers, but they looked fearsome still.
Then, the being n the front, a great horned being clutching a strange glowing sword, strode forward confidently. On his back was the grainy image of a white-armored head.
Ordamee.
Umamee cursed as he saw the fields of dead that these monsters left behind them. While they obviously had not walked away from things in one piece the sheer scale of destruction impressed and intimidated him.
''What are you?'' he hissed.
Apuat made good time
Chaggrat met them, over a gully filled with Corpses and broken Xenos equipment. Nine black-armored Astartes met them, their armor war-scarred by the xenos weaponry and blades.
Chaggrat was powering down their psycho-implants. They were Khorne Berzerkers, members of the Black Legion who had fallen into the Blood God's grip and had gone psycho-surgery under the Berzerker-Surgeons to gain the same type of kill-implants that the XII Legion, the World Easters, possessed. Larmeth, the Champion of Chaggrat, strode forward, raising his chainaxe in greeting. His red and black armor was streaked heavily with xenos blood and entrails. His helmet, with i's T-shaped visor and brass recurve horns shook from side to side.
''Honored Apuat! I trust you have had good hunting? We have only slaughtered cannon fodder.'' Larmeth rumbled, his voice like gravel.
''Good indeed, we lost Mhrall back there.'' Viskis said.
''Pity, in any case we've finished up here as you can see.'' Larmeth guessed.
Overhead the roar of jump packs filled the air as the Raptors of Hakmet Reaver Squad landed near the two Black Legion squads, their ornate black and gold armor splattered with blue xenos blood. Amsetos, the champion of Hakmet retracted his blood-stained lightning claws, each one the length of a normal human's forearm, into his gauntlets. He cracked his neck from side to side as he balanced on the ground.
''Good hunting?'' he asked. The remaining seven of his warriors fell behind him.
''Good hunting.''
''Good hunting.''
Ralek looked at the great purple alien cruiser. ''Do we call in the Thunderhawks to destroy that thing?'' he asked. Larmeth shook his head.
''I just got orders in from Sartol, see for yourself.'' he said.
Ralek opened up the long-range vox.
''My lord?'' he asked.
''Who in Khrone's name is this? Ralek?'' a deep, snake-like voice came over the comms.
''Affirmative Lord Sartol.'' he said.
''Excellent! Have you cleared resistance yet?'' Sartol asked, in the distance of the vox-comns one could hear weapons fire.
''Yes my lord, we have cleared most of the local resistance and are near some sort of gravity lift underneath the xenos warship.'' Ralek said.
''You have new orders, broad the warship by the gravity lift and take it.'' Sartol commanded.
''My lord? Are you sure? We don't know if it works or not.'' Ralek asked.
''Oh, it works, we've already boarded and taken one of their cruiser in my group, go ahead, I want their inhabitants slaughtered and the cruiser in the hands of the Warmaster do you understand Ralek?'' he asked.
''Yes my lord.''
''Good then, Kill for the living-''
''Kill for the dead.'' Ralek finished as the vox broke.
''You see now?'' Larmeth said.
''Yes,'' Ralek looked up. ''We go there?'' he asked, referring to the Covenant Cruiser's grav-lift.
''Of course,'' Larmeth said, his voice taking on an excited quality. ''More Skull for the Skull Throne.''
''I see'' Ralek removed his helm, revealing the strong patrician features so similar to his Primarch, Horus Lupercal. His skull was pale and war-scarred from centuries of warfare. On his forehead was a black eye tattoo. His black eyes darted about.
He knelt next to the corpse of a red-armored elite warrior. He tore off the head, using Moonfang to cut through the brainpan of the alien warrior. Scornfully he scooped out the brain. He tore into the alien meat, his omophagea tasting the rubbery, dry alien taste. Images appeared in his subconscious, strange words and alien feelings welled up inside him as the omophagea did its work.
The omophagea was an Astartes organ that allowed Marines to learn by consuming the flesh of their fallen foes. The brain was more favored as it usually contained memories. Ralek disliked using it, but he needed to know more about his foe.
Covenant.
The word came to his mind, roughly translated.
''What have you learned?'' Viskis asked. ''Does it taste good?''
Ralek spat to the side.
''It tastes like shit'' he grunted and got up, putting on his helmet.
''These….xenos,'' he spat the word out hatefully. ''Must burn.''
''I think I'll hunt about, the jump packs won't do much good inside the xenos cruiser.'' Amsetos said. Ralek grunted and waved him away as he walked up to the gravity lift. The rest of Apuat and Chaggrat followed him.
''Let's go.''
List of Characters.
The Black Legion
Dhar'Leth: Dameon Prince of the Black Legion
Zaraphiston: Sorceror Lord of the Black Legion
Heru'ur Varkast: Lord of the Black Legion 27th Black Company
Grendal Sartol-Champion of the Black Legion and commander of Apuat
Apuat Squad
Ralek-Champion of the squad
Viskis-Second in command
Haraketh-Fanatic of the squad
Keras-Close combat killer
Menathor-Ex-Iron Warrior, plasma gun wielder
Maskas- Most promising of the newbloods
Melek-Flamer of the squad
Haros-Newblood
Mrhall- Deceased
The Covenant
Ship Master Uma Umamee-Commander of the Righteous Solitude
Commander Ordamee-Ultra Elite
Rome Romamee- Sangheili naval officer